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Trump Takes Questions During Oval Office Event; Trump: Canada Is "Really Difficult To Deal With" On Trade; Trump Announces Plans For New Iowa Steel Plant; Trump: "I Would Not Have Released" U.K. Air Base Suspect; U.S. And China Agree To Cut Tariffs On $60B Worth Of Goods; Two Giant Pandas On Loan From China Arrive In U.S.; Investigation Into Alleged Gang Rape At Cornell Univ. Reopened. Aired 3-3:30p ET

Aired September 28, 2026 - 15:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE) construction going.

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: So, you're going to have a lot of constructions here.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE) ...

TRUMP: This is massive plant and 6,000 jobs in that area. It's a great area of Iowa, but it's been sort of left behind for a lot of wrong reasons, right? So, I think you're going to have at least 6,000 construction jobs ...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And on Canadian ...

TRUMP: ... almost immediately.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ... on Canadian trade, tomorrow, you're going to have a ban on certain items ...

TRUMP: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ... from Canada to the United States. Can you still have a trade deal or an agreement with Canada, or could more items be added to that list?

TRUMP: Well, they want to have a deal with us. They call us all the time. The problem is that they've treated the United States very unfairly. They have been one of the worst countries in the entire world. You know, we get along with China, we get along with the people, and we make good deals, but Canada's been really very difficult to deal with, actually. They've -- they've charged our farmers 400 percent tariffs and more. And they -- they take advantage of us. They feel entitled.

And, you know, they get 95 percent -- 95 percent of the business they do, they do with the United States. With us, it's a tiny fraction of that number. It's not a big number at all. And yet, you know, we give them military, we give them icebreakers. They want icebreakers. We work with them. We buy icebreakers. We -- we have a lot of them. We have 11 of them right now under construction. They want to know if they can use our icebreakers. So many things. And they feel entitled. And, you know, they're not a state. There's nothing they have that we need. We have more energy than they have. We have all the lumber you could possibly use. We have everything we have we don't need. And they have to treat our country with respect.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So, how do you ...

TRUMP: They've been very, very bad to our farmers in particular.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So, how do you get them to cool ...

TRUMP: Would you say that's true, Peter? Do you want to say something about that?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ... aluminum, farming, dairy is crazy triple digits on the dairy tariffs. And the -- the problem with that, sir, is the arrogance.

TRUMP: Those tariffs are as high as, like, 400 percent sometimes. Peter, go ahead, sorry.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, it's just -- I -- I'd go back to the first term, sir, dealing with the Canadians. They were the most difficult and arrogant of the traders. It's like the Canadian people are wonderful, but they cheat us on just about everything they can. Lumber, aluminum, steel, dairy, down the list. And then they -- the worst part now is they're getting in bed with China, trying to play China against us. And they're giving away their country. And they like to beat up on Donald Trump. I think politically that works. And the only people who get hurt by that is the people of Canada.

TRUMP: There's many, many people are going into Canada right now from other parts of the world, and it's not a good situation. They're coming in totally unchecked, totally unvetted. I don't know what Canada's doing.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So, Mr. President, how does this end?

(CROSSTALK)

TRUMP: So bad.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So, how does this end, then, Mr. President?

TRUMP: I think what's going to happen is over the next three or four weeks, they're going to come to us, and they're going to say, we need to get rid of all the tariffs. We're going to win everything. We even have Lake Ontario is now Lake America. And that's been done, by the way. It actually just got done. They told me it was just completed.

But they're going to come in, and they're going to say, sir, we are sorry. They treated the United States very, very badly. I think a deal will be made, but it's going to be a fair deal.

(CROSSTALK) BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: We've been listening to President Trump in the Oval Office, answering reporters' questions. Notably, this event was dedicated to the announcement that there would be a steel manufacturing plant built in Iowa, a state that has significant electoral consequences going into the midterms.

And President Trump was asked specifically about polling there, giving Senate and House races what appear to be a toss-up ranking in a state that President Trump won by double digits.

Meantime, Congresswoman Ashley Hinson, a Senate candidate, is apparently in the room with Trump. This is someone who notably had criticized, for example, Trump's beef policies. She skipped an event because of a prior obligation that J.D. Vance held in that state. And further, she posted online, noting that Iowans should not be paying the high prices caused by the war in Iran. But she is there in the room with the President, and she just received his endorsement. So, a -- a notable move there in the middle of a -- a campaign season where you're seeing a lot of Republicans distance themselves from this White House as the President remains unpopular.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: He's going to need her if he wants to hold on to the Senate, right? He also commented on the U.K. releasing suspects in that alleged terror plot at a British base used by long- range U.S. bombers. He said he wouldn't have said, don't -- you know, he would have -- he would have said, don't let them avail (ph). He -- he said it surprised him. He wouldn't have released him. And then, he also was asked about this comment from the U.S. ambassador to China, David Perdue ...

SANCHEZ: Right.

KEILAR: ... who had said that Trump offered to sell China weapons during Xi Jinping's visit here to the U.S.

[15:05:10]

His -- his comments, the ambassador's, where the President Trump continues to say, hey, we sell arms to other people around the world. He actually asked President Xi, would he like to buy some at one point. Trump seemed surprised by a question about that.

He said, sell to China? I never heard about that one.

Let's go to CNN's Kristen Holmes who's live at the White House.

Kristen, as always a lot covered here. But even just the actual thrust of the event here, which has to do with the steel plant in Iowa, really interesting the political dynamics that were at play.

KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely. And one thing to keep in mind here is that this is a win for those Iowa politicians who were standing there with President Trump. And they want to be able to talk about any of the wins that they have with the administration. So, talking about this new steel plant, which is going to, according to the White House, create 1,700 new jobs. And those are permanent jobs, as well as 6,000 temporary construction jobs. And you heard all of those politicians there standing next to Donald Trump talking about how these were good-paying jobs.

And this is coming at a time where part of the reason that Trump's poll numbers are so low is given that Americans are unhappy with the way that he has been handling the economy. Now, when you look at someone like Congresswoman Ashley Hinson, she has such a narrow, tight rope to walk here. Because one, President Trump did win by double digits. Two, she does want to be able to stand next to him in the Oval Office when he's announcing this large steel mill and all of these jobs.

But on the campaign trail, there has to be a little bit of distance between them. That's what you're seeing with her talking about ending the war in Iran. And a lot of that is based on the polling that is out there. One of the things President Trump repeatedly said was that he didn't believe the polls in Iowa were accurate. And then, he went on to say this about an upcoming event there.

So -- we don't have the sound there. But he basically said that there was going to be a rally in Iowa. Now, unclear if Hinson would even want to attend that rally. Because again, it is different standing next to him in the Oval Office to implement these kind of policies than it is to actually campaign alongside him for senator.

But again, as you mentioned, this is the kind of tightrope we are seeing from candidates across the country who, one, want that base turned out. We have a whole story on this today that believe that President Trump's political operation believes that he can still turn out the conservative base that he gets riled up, that don't usually show up in these midterm elections, but also understand that he is so very polarizing that he could drive out voters in the opposite direction.

So, it's interesting that he's going to announce this event in Iowa. He's also going to Florida, Alabama, Oklahoma, Texas, very conservative areas. We're told he's going to appear in some of those more swingiest purple states as well, but going to those conservative areas in those states trying to, again, drive out the base.

KEILAR: Yes. So interesting where he's going. Even more interesting where he is not. Kristen Holmes, live for us at the White House, thank you so much.

Today, we're also learning the U.S. and China are cutting tariffs on over $60 billion worth of goods.

SANCHEZ: Let's bring in CNN's Matt Egan.

Matt, magic tricks, magicians, they're going to be pumped by this news, right?

MATT EGAN, CNN SENIOR REPORTER: Yes, Boris. Magic accessories, that is one of the more obscure items that is being, is going to face lower tariffs because of this tariff relief that both sides have rolled out. But look, this does show that both the U.S. and China, they're trying to lower the temperature here after the trade war nearly spiraled out of control last year, right?

Just last week, the two sides agreed to extend a trade truce, and now they're lowering some tariffs. The U.S. says they're going to lower tariffs on 77 Chinese goods, about $30 billion of imports from China. That includes some consumer goods like toys, car seats, microwaves, footballs, baseballs, and shavers. Also, yes, some more obscure items like fireworks, playing cards, and yes, accessories that have to do with magic tricks, which I guess, Boris, would be good news for you if you end up taking up magic as a side hustle.

I'm kidding, but in all seriousness, though, in all seriousness, the timing is interesting, right? Because this is coming right before the holiday shopping season, and it's also coming right before the midterms.

Now, China has also agreed to lower some of their tariffs on U.S. goods, about 1,600 U.S. goods, including frozen meat, seafood, corn, wheat, cosmetics, and medical devices. But one thing -- one glaring omission here is U.S. soybeans. Those are not facing lower tariffs from China. That is a blow to American farmers who are already struggling from high prices for fertilizer and for energy. And this could be a way for Beijing to try to maintain some leverage over the U.S.

So, look, bottom line, yes, tariffs are coming down, but they are still high, and this trading relationship, it does remain tense. Boris and Brianna, back to you guys.

KEILAR: All right. Hey, Matt, check this out. But you know what, Matt? It's not a soybean, right? It's not a soybean.

SANCHEZ: Oh, that's -- that's a key. Got abracadabra for that.

KEILAR: It's the thing. Yes.

SANCHEZ: Matt Egan, thanks so much.

[15:10:06]

Still to come, it's a new era of panda diplomacy, two giant pandas arriving at Zoo Atlanta in a rare loan from China. When are visitors going to be able to see them? We're going to ask the zoo's CEO when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:14:31]

KEILAR: So, just days after President Trump welcomed Chinese leader Xi Jinping to the nation's capital -- it's hard for me to report this.

SANCHEZ: Very excited about this, Brianna.

KEILAR: It's so hard for me to report this story. SANCHEZ: They're so pumped.

KEILAR: Zoo Atlanta is rolling out the red carpet ...

SANCHEZ: Yes.

KEILAR: ... welcoming two giant pandas on loan from Beijing.

SANCHEZ: On Sunday, Ping Ping and Fu Shuang arrived safely in Atlanta following their 8,000 mile voyage aboard their own FedEx plane, nicknamed the Panda Express. Atlanta is going to be their temporary home for the next 10 years. And the hope is that they're going to breed and boost the vulnerable panda population.

[15:15:04]

Let's discuss with Raymond B. King, the CEO for Zoo Atlanta.

Raymond, thank you so much for being with us.

How are the next 10 years? And the hope is that they're going to breed and boost the vulnerable panda population. Let's discuss with Raymond B. King, the CEO for Zoo Atlanta.

Raymond, thank you so much for being with us. How are they doing after this 8,000 mile trek?

RAYMOND B. KING, CEO, ZOO ATLANTA: They're adjusting nicely, probably better than I was (INAUDIBLE). They had great caregivers on the plane, our vets, our animal keepers, Chinese animal keepers that are used to dealing with them. So, they were flying first class on FedEx.

KEILAR: Okay, so that's fantastic news. We're very glad to hear they're doing well. And of note, the Zoo Atlanta used to have pandas, right? Up until 2024. How excited are people, besides me, to see this new pair? And when do they actually get to catch a glimpse of them?

KING: I have to say, even I'm shocked at how much excitement this is generating. I guess I take it for granted, but I don't think you can run into anybody in Atlanta right now. And most of the nation that doesn't now know that pandas have come to Atlanta, and it's truly a state of pandemonium, as we call it.

SANCHEZ: Hello.

KING: So, there's (INAUDIBLE) Atlanta sends a civic pride as one of only three zoos in the country to see them. And for anybody in the Southeast, they've got a much quicker way to come see them now.

SANCHEZ: Yes, absolutely. Pandas, obviously, as I think pretty well known, they're famously difficult to breed in captivity. And the goal is for them to procreate. So, how important is that for the conservation of the species? How do you go about setting that up for them at Zoo Atlanta?

KING: Unfortunately, we've got a lot of experience with our previous pair. We had seven cubs, including two sets of pairs, which is quite an -- two sets of twins, which is quite unusual. So, we're certainly optimistic, certainly hoping to breed them. They're of an age to breed. So, time will tell, nature will take its course, but we're very optimistic and have a lot of experience managing with -- with cubs.

KEILAR: What ...

KING: You know, at the end of the day, that's what we do, is for the conservation of the species. This is a great example of two nations cooperating for, you know, to -- to -- to save species in the wild. And it really does work. We've made a huge investment in panda conservation over the past 25 years and are excited about the outlook in the future.

As you know, they've been upgraded from endangered to vulnerable. The population in the wild has grown. The amount of acreage dedicated to -- to their protection has grown. So, the partnership has worked very nicely.

KEILAR: Yes, I mean, that's a pretty amazing success for breeding. Raymond, what, in your opinion -- I mean, you're surprised by how much pandemonium there is, but what is it about the panda? I will tell you, I used to wonder, why do people get so excited about these pandas? Then, I went and saw one, and now, like, I can't talk about them without getting, like, a squeaky high-pitched voice, practically. What is it that just, you know, delights people to see these pandas?

KING: A remarkable sense to bring out joy in the world. You know, people look at them, and the world just kind of stops for a moment. And I think we all drift back to our childhood. It looks like an animal you want to snuggle up and cuddle with. You don't want to do that, but it just -- it brings back that -- that feeling. It's a cuddly animal.

Yes, I'm a history buff. Winston Churchill, right in the days leading up to World War II, went to the London Zoo and came back talking about how, you know, pandas just brought peace and happiness to the world. And they truly are a symbol of peace throughout the world. And people feel that. They feel that sense of joy when they see them.

SANCHEZ: Before we go, Raymond, how much bamboo you got? What's the bamboo budget? And like, just give us an idea of how many pounds of bamboo you've had to stock anticipating them.

KING: Fortunately, we've got a very generous community here in Atlanta, and we actually don't have to purchase bamboo. We've got several trucks that travel around the Atlanta region, harvesting bamboo from people's homes, commercial properties. We've got a huge refrigerator that stores a variety of kind of bamboo. They're quite finicky. One day they may like one kind, the next day that they got another. So, we're well stocked.

It will be some adjustment for the pandas. I mean, they are used to eating a different bamboo in China. Some of that came over with them to help them with the transition, but that's part of why we go through the quarantine period, obviously for biosafety, but also to get the animals acclimated to new temperatures, new handlers, new commands, new food.

KEILAR: That's fascinating. Well, Raymond, good luck. Incredibly exciting for really everyone.

[15:20:02]

And we really appreciate you joining us to talk about the pandas coming there to Zoo Atlanta.

KING: My pleasure. It brings us happiness talking about them, too.

KEILAR: So much happiness, Boris. Thank you, Raymond.

Still to come, Anthropic's CEO and other A.I. executives are set to meet President Trump at the White House tomorrow amid growing concerns about A.I. security. We'll talk about that.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:25:04]

SANCHEZ: New York prosecutors are reopening an investigation into an alleged gang rape at Cornell University. The Tompkins County District Attorney plans to present the case to a grand jury. This comes less than two weeks after the accuser's attorney filed a lawsuit alleging seven members of the Chi Phi fraternity drugged and sexually assaulted his client in October of 2024. No charges were filed at the time, but Cornell acknowledges that some students were expelled or punished in other ways. CNN's Gloria Pazmino joins us now.

Gloria, what are you learning about the case?

GLORIA PAZMINO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Boris, you know, this is a very disturbing case. The details are graphic. And what it's done over the past few days is once again put a spotlight on universities around the country and how they handle these incidents of sexual assault. Now, I think we should start back at the beginning, where this all allegedly began back in October of 2024. That is when two of the seven accused Chi Phi fraternity members were expelled and others received lesser punishment following an internal Cornell University investigation about this alleged incident.

The fraternity was also barred from the campus. And as you said, there was no arrest, no charges. And the Jane Doe, the victim in this case, has since left the school. Now, the Tompkins County District Attorney is now saying that he has new evidence. And because of this civil lawsuit that the Jane Doe in this case has filed, he is presenting that new evidence to a grand jury with the intention of bringing criminal charges.

Now, it's important to highlight here that the DA is under an incredible amount of pressure and criticism since this lawsuit has been filed. He has defended his investigation from 2024 and has made it clear that the reason he did not bring charges at the time was because the alleged victim did not say that she had been sexually assaulted or drugged in this alleged assault. I want to get right to a statement we have from the District Attorney, Matthew Van Houten, saying, quote, "Jane Doe's sworn statement in November of 2024 did not allege that she was drugged against her will or gang raped. On the contrary, Jane Doe's statement described her participation in drug use and sexual conduct as voluntary, conscious, and consensual."

So, Boris, this is going to be a really important part of this case going forward, because there are laws here in New York State that specifically deal with the difficulty of charging a person if the alleged victim in an incident willingly consumed alcohol or drugs, right, which appears to have been the case here.

Now, in the lawsuit, Jane Doe alleges that this happened when she was 20 years old, back in 2024, she started out her evening at her own sorority house, she was drinking, she traveled to the Chi Phi fraternity house, and it was once that she was inside that house that she was drugged and sexually assaulted by seven members of the fraternity.

Also included in her lawsuit is a photo of a group chat that was allegedly being sent among members of the fraternity where they discussed the assault as it was taking place and invited others to participate. We have heard from Jane Doe's attorney. He told CNN that her -- his client, other than her initial contact with Cornell police, was -- she was not contacted by investigators from the Tompkins County District Attorney's Office or any investigators trained in interviewing rape survivors.

So, you can see, Boris, just how much reaction this case is getting. We're hearing from lawmakers, from celebrities, social media. People are commenting on this because there has been so -- such a focus in how universities handle these types of cases. Cornell University also responded to us defending their investigation back in 2024, also saying, quote, "Any suggestion that the university did not impose consequential punishment for those involved is false. A continuation of the false narrative that there were minimal consequences in this case is irresponsible, will make survivors feel less safe and supported, and will perpetuate an underreporting of sexual assault."

Boris, we have been able to contact so far only one of the accused students. His attorney is denying the allegations, and this is certain to develop significantly more over the next few days as this legal process plays out. Boris?

[15:30:07]

SANCHEZ: Gloria Pazmino, thank you so much for that update.